The benevolent banner., 1887-09-10

ing the superior capacity. An army
without a general is mob, at the
mercy Of any disciplined force that is
hurled against il; and disorganized,
leaderless race i nothing more than !
a helpless, restless moo; and, on the |
whole. the cOlOred people Of the |
United States are substantially that !
sort Of thing, aud have been since the |
close Of the war, at the mercy of
schemers and unscrupulous self-seek-
ers. This should not be allowed to
continue.
SOME DIFFICULTIES AND DANGERS
Already have persons, personally
and through correspondence, assured
me that such all organic alton as
have proposed will meet with stren-
uous opposition, and that bloodshed
NAV follow in some instances in the
wake of the work. | have no doubt
that this will be the case. All those
men who have profted by our disor-
ganization and fattened Oh our labor
by class and corporate legislation will
oppose the movement, may resort to
the coward argument of violence;
but are we TO remain forever inactive,
the victims Of extortion and duplic-
ity on this account? Not bit of it.
We propose to accomplish our pur-
poses by the peaceful methods of agi-
tatiOn, through the ballot and the
courts, but if others use the weapons
Of violence to combat our peaceful
arguments it is not for us TO ruu
away from violence. A mans man,
and what is worth having is worth
fighting tor. 1t is proudly claimed
that "the blood Of the martyrs is the
seed Of the church" Certainly the
blood of antl-slavery champions was
the seed of Garrison's doctrine of
"the genius of universal emancipa-
tionw Certainly the blood of Irish
patriots has been the seed of Irish
persistence and success; certainly the
blood Of Negro patriots was the seed
of the independence Of Hayti and San
Domingo; and ia the Great Revolu-
tiOn Of our own country, the corner
stones of American freedom were
cemented with the blood of patriots
who were not afraid to die; and the
refrain will reverberate down the
ages
Long as in freedoms cause the wise
contend,
Dear to your country shall your fame
extend;
While to the world the lettered ston'
shall tell
Where Caldwell, Attucks, Gray ant
Maverick fell.
Attucks, the black patriot-he wa
no coward! Toussaint L'Ouvertur'
he was no coward. Nat Turner
r he was no coward! And the two hun
] dred thousand black soldiers of tn
e last war-they were no towards.
! We have a work to do, let us do il
? We should therefore take hold of
} like men, not counting our time an
t means and lives as of any consequence
j further than they contribute to tn
e grand purpose which calls US to ID
5 work. Whenever there are gathere
5 together ten colored men anywher
1 III this country, let them resolve then
4 selves into branch of The Afro
y American League, and elect set {
S the best men in it as officers, the sam
/ as is done in any other social {
It church society. Let the work begi
n at once. Let US prepare for the n;
d tional meeting of the League with
/? IS short time in the future as will
e consistent with 8 decent represents
v ton, to draft laws for the manage
h ment of the League and its branche
g Let every man of us feel that it is b
r peculiar business TO take hold of tn
il work of preliminary organizatio
e and 10 impress the Importance of
e upon his friend: and neighbors. Ii
n each man and woman take hold au
e do his duty aud the results will spea
al for themselves. Yours for absolu
d right. I. THnMAs FORTUNE.
e New York, June ,, 1857.
II Editor Fortunes sentiments, give
er above from the Ner TorL Freemu
e are ours.
u Ottawa News.
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